The field of the invention relates generally to power distribution systems, and more particularly, to determining a location of a fault in a power distribution system.
A ground fault is an undesirable condition in an electrical system, in which electrical current flows to the ground. A ground fault happens when the electrical current in a distribution or transmission network leaks outside of its intended flow path. Distribution and transmission networks are generally protected against faults in such a way that a faulty component or transmission line is automatically disconnected with the aid of an associated circuit breaker.
One grounding strategy for low voltage power systems is high resistance grounding. In high resistance grounded power systems, an impedance is provided between the neutral and ground of a source power transformer. This high resistance grounding allows continued operation of the power system even in case of single phase-to-ground fault. However, depending upon the system design, to permit such continued operation, the ground fault should be detected and located to relieve the extra voltage stress in the power system and also to remove the initial fault to eliminate the occurrence of series of faults from phase to phase.
In at least some known systems, identification of the location of high resistance ground faults requires either a manual search using portable measurement equipment for faulted lines or a relatively sophisticated central control module. Using portable measurement equipment may be relatively time consuming and labor-intensive. Further, using a central control module may be computationally complex and relatively expensive.